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Workplaces

INTRODUCTION

Workplaces are an ideal setting to promote safe, sustainable and nutritious food, as over half the UK population is currently in employment and it is estimated people spend up to 60 per cent of their waking hours at their place of work.

Research by the British Dietetic Association found that the average British worker spends over £20,000 during their working life on snack food, or around £2 a day, not including their lunchtime or breakfast meals. The survey of 4,000 employees also revealed that a third of all workers regularly miss out on breakfast and many rarely make it away from their work stations. 44 per cent eat their lunch at their desks, and 87 per cent thought they would be far more productive if they took time out during the day to exercise and eat healthily. The most frequently eaten snacks are chocolate bars, crisps, biscuits and cakes, which are all high in fat, salt and/or sugar.

Diet-related ill health is also a huge burden on the economy. Premature deaths among obese employees cost companies £1.1 billion a year and a further £1.45 billion due largely to 18 million days of sickness leave. Food poisoning costs £350 million - £1 billion due to lost working days and cardiovascular diseases costs £8.4 billion in lost productivity.

BENEFITS

Setting up a healthy eating workplace intervention could help to:

• Decrease levels of sickness absence.
• Reduce the risk of diet-related diseases.
• Increase concentration and energy levels.
• Increase motivation of employees.
• Create a better working atmosphere.
• Increase productivity
• Improve the public image and make the workplace more attractive as an employer.
• Encourage employees to eat more healthily at home as well as at work.

   

WHY SHOULD LOCAL COUNCILS GET INVOLVED?

Local government employs over two million people and so is one of the largest employers in the UK. Many local authorities provide places where staff can purchase food and therefore offer direct opportunities to provide more nutritious choices. Councils also provide food for meetings, conferences and events, many of which involve partner organisations and members of the public and so offering healthier food and local produce can encourage other employers to do the same.

By improving the food provided within their own workplaces local authorities can support a range of priorities highlighted by the LGA to help improve community well-being, including in particular:

• Better public health - by encouraging and enabling their staff to adopt healthier lifestyles, and
• A thriving and sustainable local economy - by using local suppliers whenever possible.

POLICY AREAS

The public sector in England spends £2 billion on food and catering services. The Government wants to use this buying power to help deliver the principal aims of the Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food in England. “The Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) is helping to promote other government policies on climate change, waste minimisation, fairly traded goods, small- and medium-sized enterprises, greater choice for ethnic customers, better conditions for catering staff and thriving, vibrant, and sustainable communities.” By implementing a workplace food initiative local authorities and other public sector bodies can help to support the aims of the PSFPI.

Choosing Health - Choosing a Better Diet,the Department of Health’s Food and Health Action Plan has also identified Nutrition in the Workplace as one of the key settings to promote healthy eating. It says: “Employers, government and trade unions all have a role to play in establishing environments that support healthy choices across a range of behaviours, including better diet.”

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have Healthy Workplace programmes which encourage healthy eating, as well as other lifestyle changes:

• Health at Work is part of Greater Glasgow NHS Board and supports the Scottish Health at Work Programme. www.healthatwork.org.uk*

• The Welsh Assembly Government administers Health at Work: the Corporate Standard in Wales, which includes action on healthier nutrition practices. http://www.cmo.wales.gov.uk/....*

• The Work Well initiative is a healthy workplace programme run by the Healthy Promotion Agency in Northern Ireland. www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk/....*

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL INTERVENTION

Research by the Health Development Agency found that successful workplace schemes had:

• Visible and enthusiastic support and involvement from management.
• Involvement by employees at all levels in the planning and implementation phases.
• Changes to the composition of best selling foods provided in canteens and vending machines.
• Tailoring to the characteristics and needs of the employees.
• Use of local resources in theorganisation and implementation of the intervention.
• Combination of population-based policy initiatives with intensive individual and group oriented interventions.
• Built in sustainability.

LEGISLATION

In the UK, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 all employers have a legal duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. Specific regulations apply to the provision of clean drinking water and eating facilities, but there is no legal duty for employers to provide food. Employers are required to provide “suitable and sufficient” rest facilities which include arrangements to protect people from the discomfort of tobacco smoke and allow them to eat their meals. Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 employers must provide an adequate supply of “wholesome” drinking water for all people at work in the workplace. This should be readily accessible and accompanied by cups or be of a water-jet design.

WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED

In order to implement a workplace healthy eating initiative you will need to engage the support and backing of management from the outset and throughout the project if necessary. You should try to involve other interested colleagues and someone from your human resources, occupational health, learning and development, and/or facilities departments if you have them. Some initiatives will need administrative support e.g. someone to order fresh fruit or co-ordinate veg box deliveries. You may also need a small budget for some initiatives and so will need to find out where you could access suitable funds. Setting up a small working group will enable you to get all the key people together at the same time, but you probably won’t need to meet on a regular basis once the initiative gets started.

ASSESSING THE NEED

Once you have the support of management you need to assess whether there is a need for a healthy eating initiative and if employees are likely to take part. In order to do this you could send a brief questionnaire via e-mail to your colleagues to assess whether they would like more healthy food available and what type of initiatives they would be interested in. You should also assess the quality of the current food provision i.e. canteens, catering for meetings, vending machines, sandwich rounds, etc. and gather other people’s views on what improvements could be made.

KITCHEN FACILITIES

Providing suitable kitchen facilities will enable employees to prepare their own lunch and snacks in clean and hygienic environment. Even if there is only a small kitchen available there should be room to include:

• A fridge so that packed lunches and other foods can be kept chilled and so reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses.
• A cooker or microwave for the safe cooking or reheating of food.
• A sink to wash fresh produce.
• A range of utensils, cutlery and crockery, including chopping board, knife, bowls, plates.
• Suitable facilities for washing dishes, i.e. sink and washing up liquid or a dishwasher.
• Suitable arrangements in place to keep the eating/cooking area clean.
• Suitable facilities for hand washing, i.e. soap, clean towels.

EATING AREAS

DRINKING WATER

Fresh water should always be freely available. Jugs of iced tap water are perfectly acceptable for meetings and avoid the waste and expense of bottled waters. Many people are often dehydrated to some degree and this leads to poor concentration, headaches and kidney problems. Everyone should aim to drink at least 6 - 8 glasses of water per day.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY DIET?

A healthy balanced diet contains lots of fruit and vegetables; is based on starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice; and is low in fat (especially saturated fat), salt and sugar. It also contains moderate amounts of milk and dairy products and moderate amounts of foods that are good sources of protein, such as meat, fish, eggs, beans and lentils. Any food provided in the workplace e.g. in canteens, catering for meetings, or in vending machines should therefore aim to reflect this balance, however on the whole this is not case, for example snacks in vending machines are generally high in fat, salt and/or sugar. More information on healthy eating can be found on www.eatwell.gov.uk and www.nutrition.org.uk*.

POSSIBLE INITIATIVES

Increasing Healthy Options in Canteens

If you have a work canteen then there are lots of opportunities to improve the types of food that people eat while at work. The following guidelines will help you provide meals that are in line with dietary recommendations

• Base meals on starchy foods and try to vary this from day to day e.g. alternating between bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or couscous, and use wholegrain varieties whenever possible.
• Everyone should be eating five portions of fruit and veg a day, so always provide a variety of vegetables and use them a part of the main meal, rather than just as a side dish or salad.
• Try to use a variety of different coloured vegetables, in order to provide a range of nutrients.
• Try to provide at least one fruit based desert e.g. fresh fruit salad, fruit crumble, or natural yoghurt with fruit puree, and have pieces of fruit available to purchase at a reasonable price.
• Cook healthier alternatives of cakes and pastries, i.e. cakes made with less sugar and more dried fruit, and with a proportion of wholemeal flour e.g. half white / half wholemeal.
• Always have a vegetarian and/or vegan option and make sure this is clearly labelled.
• Base vegetarian dishes on vegetables, salads and pulses rather than cheese and pastry.
• Avoid serving dishes with creamy and butter sauces.
• Use healthier cooking methods, for example grilling and baking rather than frying.
• Reduce the fat content of key items and try to use unsaturated fats, e.g. sunflower or olive oil, for cooking whenever possible.
• Reduce the amount of processed foods used - 75% of the salt in the diet comes from processed foods.
• Try to use fresh, local, seasonal ingredients whenever possible.
• Encourage people to try healthier options by offering price incentives or free tasters.

The Food Standards Agency has more information on Catering for Health at:

http://www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/healthycatering/

Catering for meetings

Another main source of food in the workplace is catering for meetings, events and conferences. There are many simple changes that can be made to increase the nutritional quality of the food provided e.g.

• Make sandwiches with wholemeal bread, as well as, or instead of white bread and try using a variety of different breads e.g. pitta, granary, bagels, etc.
• Use lower fat fillings e.g. hummus and salad, and use lower fat dressings.
• Offer fresh fruit at all meetings – if you are going to have cut fruit choose varieties than will not brown easily or else serve whole fruit, as this will help to reduce wastage.
• Have a variety of salads and/or vegetable crudités with all lunches.
• Provide snacks such as bread sticks, toasted seeds, or dried fruit and unsalted nuts rather than crisps.
• Always have fruit juice and water available and offer herbal teas as well as tea and coffee.
• Find out about any dietary requirements and allergies in advance.

Healthy Catering Guidelines have been produced by the North West Food and Health Task Force and these have more information about providing healthier catering for meetings.
http://www.foodandhealthnw.co.uk*

Healthy Snacks and Vending Machines

If you have vending machines then try to reduce or phase out the amount of foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar e.g. fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate, etc. Many people will buy these snacks when they’re hungry simply because they are no other alternatives available. There are now a few companies supplying healthy vending machines, for example: www.natvenco.com* or www.h-box.com*. If your organisation is in a long term contract with a vending company – check with the company first to find out what changes can be made and if they can increase the amount of healthier options they supply. The Food Standards Agency has also produced guidance on vending healthy drinks. This is aimed at schools but it contains advice that is relevant to other settings. www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/vendingmachinebooklet.pdf

Alternatively if you don’t have a vending machine you can still offer healthy snacks such as fresh fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit, oatcakes, nuts and seeds. You could either do this by asking people to pay in advance e.g. 30p a day or by having an honesty box. Someone will need to act as a lead for this initiative, as fresh fruit will need to be bought every 2 or 3 days because it won’t stay fresh for a whole week especially when it’s warm. You will also need sufficient storage space for any packaged goods bought in bulk.

Convert your workplace to Fairtrade

As well as promoting healthy eating you can also support Fairtrade. A lot of local authorities in the UK have now signed up to be Fairtrade towns, which means that the Council must serve Fairtrade teas and coffees in meetings, offices and canteens, and Fairtrade products must be used by a number of other local workplaces. As well as Fairtrade teas and coffees it is now also possible to buy a wide range of healthier Fairtrade snacks including fresh fruit, dried fruit, nut mixes, cereal bars, and fruit juice. These can usually be ordered in bulk through local health food wholesalers - the Fairtrade Foundation has a list of suppliers on its website www.fairtrade.org.uk* Alternatively some products can be ordered in bulk direct on-line from Traidcraft www.traidcraftshop.co.uk* or Tropical Wholefoods www.tropicalwholefoods.co.uk*

Box Scheme Deliveries

Another good way to encourage employees to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and at the same time help the environment is to enable them to have veg boxes delivered to work every week. Setting up a box scheme delivery point at the workplace can benefit employees by saving them the time from having to go to the shops after work. It can also benefit local producers who will have access to a large number of potential customers based in the same location. You can search for your nearest local veg box scheme at www.vegboxschemes.co.uk* NB A box scheme will probably be successful if employees drive to work or live close enough to carry their box home, but it is not really viable in London where most people will commute.

Information, Education and Promotion

Providing information on healthy eating e.g. posters and leaflets within the work environment can help encourage employees to make healthy choices. Many educational materials are available free from your local Health Promotion Department or direct from the Food Standards Agency, Department of Health and organisations like the World Cancer Research Fund or British Heart Forum.

As well as providing general information throughout the year you can carry out special promotional activities to coincide with specific healthy eating or local food campaigns such as Fruity Friday. This can be publicised via posters, leaflets, intranets, screen savers, payslips and through employee meetings. Promotional activities could include fruit and veg tasters, smoothie-making sessions, cookery demos, or workshops on healthy eating or weight management. Interactive sessions are often more successful than just providing information alone. Contact your local Primary Care Trust to find out if someone could help with these activities.

COSTS

The costs of improving food within your workplace will depend on what changes are necessary, for example if your kitchen needs upgrading this will obviously have financial implications. However, it should be possible to make changes to food provision without having to increase your overall catering budget and most promotional initiatives should have minimal costs apart from staff time.

LINKS

The British Dietetic Association has produced a number of useful fact sheets as part of their 2005 Weight Wise at Work campaign which can be ordered via their website. http://www.bda.uk.com/weightwise.html*

* Disclaimer - All links to companies and other websites are provided for information only and do not constitute or imply any endorsement of that company’s products or services by LACORS, LGA or FSA.